All Blogposts

  • Poetry Reading plus Open-Mic in Devizes, Sunday June 16

    Poetry Reading plus Open-Mic in Devizes, Sunday June 16

    I’m reading poems from my book What Are You After?  (published 2018 by Nine Arches Press) and new poems, on Sunday, June 16th, 5-7pm in the cellar of The Vaults Alehouse.  Here is a link to my event on the festival website. There will also be an opportunity to perform your poems at the open-mic.  This Read more

  • Poetry responding to climate change

    Poetry responding to climate change

    Like many people I’ve been thinking more and more about climate change, inspired by the activism of Greta Thunberg and others.  Recent poetry events like the 2018 Ginkgo Prize readings at Poetry in Aldeburgh (by the way, the 2019 Ginkgo Prize – “the world’s biggest ecopoetry prize” – has just launched) and the Autumn 2018 Read more

  • Listening to ‘Fountain’ by Ari Banias & other poems

    Listening to ‘Fountain’ by Ari Banias & other poems

    I’m not convinced that the knee surgery I had just before Christmas to treat a meniscus tear has completely worked. There is still quite a lot of pain (which wakes me up at night) but I think the pain is better than it was before. Anyway, bla bla bla, health issues. I’m alive! And one Read more

  • Book Review: Kin by Hugh Dunkerley

    Book Review: Kin by Hugh Dunkerley

    The cover image of Hugh Dunkerley’s new poetry collection (Kin, Cinnamon Press, 2019) is of a newborn baby emerging from a birthing pool so I was expecting to read poems about human vulnerability, frailty, pain, the complexities of parenthood, anxiety and joy, among other things, and I wasn’t disappointed. Poems in the first two thirds Read more

  • #NaPoWriMo

    #NaPoWriMo

    I think it’s wonderful that there’s such a thing as National Poetry Month in the USA and it’s great that it’s really easy to join in wherever you are.   April is also National Poetry Writing Month – #NaPoWriMo – which can also be fun/inspiring/challenging to participate in. I’m not taking part in #NaPoWriMo as such Read more

  • Stephen Lightbown and Caleb Parkin to read at Trowbridge Stanza

    Stephen Lightbown and Caleb Parkin to read at Trowbridge Stanza

    Trowbridge Stanza is looking forward to welcoming poets Stephen Lightbown and Caleb Parkin to read at Drawing Projects UK, Trowbridge, (Drawing Projects UK is in Bridge House, next to Trowbridge train station) on Saturday April 6, 2-4pm.  There will also be the opportunity to perform your own poems at the open-mic.  Tickets are £3 on Read more